School children from Chapelfield Primary School, Radcliffe, cause a stir with giant Frank Sidebottom heads

Pupils at Chapelfield Primary School, Radcliffe, made the giant papier-mâché heads as part of a project which was looking at developing aspiration through local achievement.

The project was the idea of Year 5 and 6 teacher Debbie Measor who wanted to highlight the benefits of creativity and individualism.

Chris Sievey, who was made famous by his alter ego Frank, provided the children with the inspiration for the project.

The musician and comedian died in 2010 aged 54.

Mrs Measor said: “Too often children are led to believe academic outcomes are priority regardless of personal and natural ability; I thought Chris Sievey presented an excellent example of how a person can make a good living by doing things they love, by being creative, by being individual and different.

“I also had the vision of the class leaving school at the end of term, school opening the doors and walking out with their Frank Sidebottom heads on! Imagine the look on the parents' faces!”

The children spent three weeks working on the heads, moulding them and then painting them and Mrs Measor was very proud of the results.

She said: “It was a lot of hard work making them, the children spent every spare moment working on them but they really enjoyed it.

“It felt like art therapy; a fantastic way to end a busy and exhausting term.

“Some children decided to make an actual Frank Sidebottom head, others, as you can see, made the heads in their own image but in Frank's unmistakable style.

“The outcome has been a wonderful tribute to Chris Sievey; friends of Chris Sievey have said he'd have loved it and it would have made him smile.”

She added: “And, yes, the look on the parents' faces when their children — with their Frank heads on — flooded the playground on the last day of school was priceless!”

The giant heads also made it a memorable last day of term for head teacher Malcolm Gate who retired from the school after 12 years.